Generally, clothes treating apparatuses include a washing machine, a drying machine, and a washing machine having a drying function (hereinafter, referred to as a “washing/drying machine”). The washing machine is an apparatus for removing dirt or contaminants attached to laundry in accordance with a chemical dissolution function and a mechanical impact function. The drying machine is an apparatus for supplying hot air to objects to be dried, to dry the objects. Recently, the use of the washing/drying machine, which has both the washing function and the drying function, has been increased.
Typically, such a clothes treating apparatus includes a drum for accommodating clothes therein, and a drive source for driving the drum. In the case of a drying machine, it includes, in addition to the above-mentioned elements, a heater for heating air introduced into the drum, and a blower unit for sucking air into the drum or outwardly discharging air from the drum.
Drying machines may be classified into an electric type and a gas type in accordance with the type of the system for heating air, namely, the type of the heater. The electric type drying machine heats air, using heat generated from an electrical resistance. On the other hand, the gas type drying machine heats air, using heat generated in accordance with the combustion of gas.
Drying machines may also be classified into a condensation type and an exhaustion type. In the condensation type drying machine, air, which has become humid after being heat-exchanged with an object to be dried, is circulated without being outwardly discharged, specifically, exhausted. The air is heat-exchanged with ambient air through a separate condenser. In accordance with this heat exchange, condensed water is generated, and is then outwardly discharged. In the exhaustion type drying machine, air, which has become humid after being heat-exchanged with an object to be dried, is directly discharged to the outside of the drying machine.
In accordance with the system for loading objects, to be dried, drying machines may also be classified into a top loading type and a front loading type. In the top loading type drying machine, objects are loaded into the drying machine through the top side of the drying machine. On the other hand, in the front loading type drying machine, objects are loaded into the drying machine through the front side of the drying machine.
However, the above-mentioned conventional drying machines have the following problems.
Typically, in a drying machine, laundry spin-dried after being completely washed is loaded so that it can be dried. In this case, the laundry, which has been washed using water, has creases due to the principle of the water washing. In the drying procedure, however, the creases cannot be completely removed.
In order to remove the creases still present on objects, such as laundry, completely dried in conventional drying machines, it is necessary to perform ironing. In order to solve this problem, the development of a drying machine provided with a steam supplier has been required. In this connection, it is also necessary to develop additional devices for achieving a smooth operation and a desired durability of the drying machine, in spite of the installation of the steam supplier.